


Something Good

by inmyhouse



Category: Call the Midwife, The Sound of Music - Rodgers/Hammerstein/Lindsay & Crouse
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:14:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 8,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22813654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inmyhouse/pseuds/inmyhouse
Summary: Shelagh Mannion takes up the task of caring for a widowed doctor's four children while deciding whether to continue becoming a nun. She has already fallen for the bright and clever children. Will she fall just as fast for their father?--The Call the Midwife and The Sound of Music crossover that crossed everyone's mind after S09E05. Making up for the lack of Turnadette content that we all deserve.
Relationships: Bernadette | Shelagh Turner & Patrick Turner, Bernadette | Shelagh Turner/Patrick Turner
Comments: 26
Kudos: 38





	1. The Hills

Shelagh Mannion loved the hills that overlooked the nearby town of Poplar. She imagined the people going about their days, rushing to drop their children off at work or meeting a friend before going to the pub. It all seemed wonderful to the curious young novice.

She knew she would never partake in all of it. She was studying to take her vows. She was to commit her life to God. It was what she wanted, after all, to belong and to be part of something where she would be loved and welcomed with open arms. Living in Nonnatus house had given that to her and becoming a nun would only set everything in place.

As the bells tolled, Shelagh ran down the hill and back to Nonnatus house and arrived at afternoon prayer right before it started.

Sisters Evangelina, Monica Joan, Julianne, and Winnifred all watched her as she joined the other novices.

“She’s been in the hills again,” Sister Evangelina sighed. “The girl needs to buck up and pay more attention to her devotions.”

“God speaks to us in different ways. If she finds solace in nature, then let her be!” Sister Monica Joan exclaimed.

Sister Winnifred pulled a newspaper out of her pocket. “She’s been hiding her medical journal again and I’ve seen her reading them before morning Mass.”

“The girl has curlers in her hair! She hides them under her wimple and thinks no one notices!”

“She is always singing or humming no matter what the hour is!”

“It’s only a matter of time until she tries to take the choir out from under me!”

“She jumps around from task to task and never stops trying to do things that aren’t her job.”

“If anything, she focuses more on studying medicine than studying for her vows!”

“She’d be better off elsewhere.”

Sister Julianne raises her hand to cut them off. “Sisters, please.”

The nuns sheepishly looked back at their superior.

“Shelagh has chosen the monastic life and it is our job to welcome her into this life. Whether or not God has decided for her work to be here in the monastery or outside is another discussion.”

“It’s a discussion we should have,” Sister Evangelina insisted.

Sister Julianne sighed.

Shelagh had studied midwifery before turning to religious life. Her mentor had said she had been good with children and there was an open position as a caretaker for a widowed doctor who had four children. Perhaps it would be good for Shelagh if she put some of her talents to work outside of Nonnatus house.

-

A few hours later, Shelagh was sitting in the chair across from Sister Julianne.

“My dear, you’ve come so far since you came to us when you were a mere child. It feels as though you’ve been here for your entire life.”

Shelagh smiled at the bittersweet memory of arriving at the then intimidating Nonnatus House after her mother’s passing.

“Yes,” she agreed, “It seems like yesterday and forever ago at the same time.”

Sister Julianne hesitated, wringing her hands. “And… are you happy here?”

“Of course. God brought me here to be guided by you and the other sisters and…” Shelagh’s smile faded. “It’s been a little challenging to adapt, but I’ve managed.”

“What if there was another opportunity for you?”

Shelagh furrowed her brows in confusion. “Another opportunity? Do you mean leaving the religious life?”

“No, no.” Sister Julianne slid a folder across the table. “There is a widowed doctor who lives in Poplar. He has four children but being the only doctor in Poplar has made it difficult for him to take on both roles and is looking for some assistance. I believe he was searching for an au pair but he is an old friend of mine and I think you would be able to help his children.”

Leaving Nonnatus House?

“It would be a bit of a change, yes, but you have so much energy, my dear. I believe that God is calling you to take up this position,” Sister Julianne said.

Shelagh gave her a small nod. “If God is calling me to Poplar, I’ll go.”


	2. Cool, Calm, Collected, and Professional

With her bag in hand, Shelagh made the trek down to Poplar.

She had left the wimple at Nonnatus House, expecting that a more civilian look would help her blend in with the residents of Poplar and perhaps the children would see her as less uptight and they would feel more comfortable around her. Besides, the clothes from the donation bin at Nonnatus House were probably more comfortable than her woolen habit.

“Go with God, my dear, Shelagh,” Sister Julianne had told her. “Those four children should be glad to be under your care.”

Four children. Four. Only four. It shouldn’t be that bad, right?

She couldn’t help but give into her thoughts as she stared out the window of the bus.

If their father was a doctor then they must be well educated. He wouldn’t let his children prance about without any sort of direction. Although Sister Julianne did say that the man was fairly busy and couldn’t be both father and doctor. But the children must take priority over his work and he just might need more time to look after patients.

Unless the opposite applied. What if they were rude and messy and, goodness, what if they were absolute troublemakers? Maybe he was too busy for his children and needed someone to set the little ones straight.

She knew she could only discipline children so much and that they had minds of their own and there would only be so much she could do to try to help them.

If they even needed help, of course. There was always the possibility that they could be perfectly pleasant children.

Please let them be nice children, she silently prayed.

According to Sister Julianne, the children had been without a mother for some time now.

Children need a mother, Shelagh thought to herself. There was only so much that a father could offer to his children. There were things that only a mother could provide for them.

She had lost her own mother at a young age and although she viewed everyone at Nonnatus House as her family, there was still an empty space in her heart that her mother had left behind.

Shelagh smiled at the memory of when she had run into Nonnatus House, her knees scraped from falling on the concrete. Sister Julianne had been there to clean her up and Sister Monica Joan had held her hand the entire time and offered her a slice of cake “for being such a good patient.”

It felt like it was an eternity ago.

Here she was, about to embark on her own journey to be to the children what the nuns had been for her, a guiding force to show her the path that God had set for her.

Unless, of course, the children did not care about anything she had to tell them or perhaps they were all teenagers who were set in their ways and

Shelagh pushed the thoughts out of her mind. It wasn’t right to assume things about people she’s never met.

“Just calm down,” she told herself.

It wasn’t like her to second guess her decisions and she wasn’t going to start making it a habit now, the time when she needed to have a clear head.

No, she was just going to be a calm, cool, collected, and professional matron.

If Sister Julianne sent her then it was because she trusted in her abilities and thought she was capable enough to handle everything herself.

It was going to be fine.

She would introduce herself to the children and get to know them. She’d deal with their father when necessary but focus on helping and caring for the children as best as she could.

Yes, she’d be the best matron that ever walked through the doors of that house.

Hopefully.

She arrived at the address that Sister Julianne had given her and she opened the creaky gate and walked to the front door.

The door opened before she could knock.

“Oh, hello.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 55th anniversary to The Sound of Music! It was one of my favorite movies growing up and here I am writing fanfiction based on it. Currently listening to the soundtrack and falling in love with the music all over again.  
> -  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was based on the song Confidence from TSOM and I had fun


	3. Introductions

Shelagh stared at the tall redhead woman in long checkered trousers who stood before her.

“I’m sorry, I must have the wrong address.”

She didn’t.

“Are you looking for Doctor Turner? I was just popping in to check on the children,” the redhead explained. She stuck out her hand. “Patience Mount but you can call me Patsy, everyone else does. I work with the doctor at the clinic.”

She shook the woman’s hand. “Shelagh Mannion. I’m supposed to be looking after the children.”

“Yes, I heard him talking about it with our curate. You work with the nuns, right?” Patsy gestured for Shelagh to enter.

“I'm a nun, actually,” Shelagh explained, “I’m studying to become one at least. Sister Julianne sent me to help since she knows Doctor Turner.”

Their conversation was interrupted by a piercing shriek.

“Nurse Mount!” a voice cried out.

The two women turned around and saw a young blonde girl running up to them with a terrified look on her face.

Patsy picked the girl up. “What happened, Angela?”

“There’s something moving in the bushes! I wanted to get my ball back and it made a noise.”

Shelagh followed Patsy into the backyard where two younger children huddled in the corner in fright. She grabbed a long stick and slowly crept towards the bush.

Before she could get within a meter of the bush, a small rabbit jumped out.

“Nothing to fear, children. It’s only a rabbit,” she assured them. “Poor thing must have gotten lost on its way home.”

“Children, say thank you to Miss Mannion.”

“Thank you, Miss Mannion,” the children chimed.

The smaller girl’s face brightened as she let go of her younger brother. “Are you our new mother?”

Shelagh stammered as she felt her face redden.

“Matron, May. Not mother,” Angela corrected.

“Nurse Mount,” Shelagh said once she regained her wits, “I thought there were four children and, well, there are only three here.”

“Timothy, Dr. Turner’s eldest, is studying for exams,” Patsy explained. “Well, that’s what is supposed to be doing. I’ll call him down so you can meet everyone properly.”

A voice rang out from inside the house. “Hello? Children?”

“We’re out here, doctor!” Patsy called back.

The doctor wandered out onto the back patio, his children immediately running to their father.

“Ah, Nurse Mount,” the doctor greeted as he gave her a tired smile. “I see you’ve brought a friend.”

“She’s your new matron, Doctor Turner,” Patsy clarified.

“New matron?” Doctor Turner furrowed his eyebrows.

“New matron.” Shelagh tried her best to smile, hoping that she was at the right doctor’s house, or else things would be terribly awkward.

The doctor stared at her for a second before it clicked. “Sister Julianne sent you, correct?”

Shelagh nodded.

“She really is a wonder isn’t she?” Doctor Turner sighed. “She and Sister Evangelina helped deliver my eldest. Speaking of which, where is Tim?”

As if on cue, a teenage boy bounced down the stairs and looked over his shoulder before trying to rush off to the front door.

“Tim.”

The teenager froze and turned around, defeated. “Hi, dad.”

“Come on.” Dr. Turner gestured for his son to join the rest of them. “At least greet your new matron.”

Timothy gave her a small wave.

“Right, this cheeky lad is Timothy. This little one here is Teddy.” Dr. Turner fluffed his younger son’s hair. “That’s Angela.” He gestured to the girl who had already gone back to playing with her ball. “And this is May.”

The small dark-haired girl peeked out from behind her father’s legs.

“It’s very nice to meet all of you.” Shelagh looked at all the children and noted how uninterested they all seemed.

“Well,” Doctor Turner sighed, “I should be getting back to work.”

“You’re leaving already?” Shelagh frowned as she followed him to the door. “I don’t know anything about the children’s schedules or routines.”

“I’m sure Nurse Mount would be happy to assist you,” he assured her.

Patsy sighed. “I’m afraid that I have to be getting back to the clinic as well.”

“The children know their schedules so you should be alright for this afternoon. Tim can show you to your room and you can help yourself to anything in the kitchen,” he said.

Before Shelagh could protest, Doctor Turner had already bid his children farewell and had one foot out the door.

She stared at the door in disbelief for a moment before turning around, attempting to smile at the children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi friends. It's been a hot second since I've updated this. With all that's been happening in our world in these past few weeks, I've just been trying to find my footing and figuring things out. Hope you all enjoyed and I will try to upload a bit more frequently.


	4. The Turner Children

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely people. The world has been a bit topsy turvy lately, hasn't it? Hope this chapter provides a bit of distraction from all that's happening outside. Stay home, stay safe. x

Cool, calm, collected, professional. Cool, calm, collected, professional.

“Well, it’s very nice to meet all of you.”

Cool, calm, collected, professional.

The children watched her, waiting for her to say something else.

“If you children aren’t too busy, I’d like to get to know all of you,” Shelagh said, hopeful that the children wouldn’t turn her down her offer. “And I could tell you a little about myself if you’re interested.”

“If you’re a nun, why don’t you have a veil?” Teddy asked.

Guess we’re starting there, Shelagh thought to herself. 

“I’m not  _ exactly _ a nun,” she explained, “I was just studying to become one.”

“Why?”

Ah, Teddy is at  _ that _ age.

“When I was younger, I realized my calling was to help the community. I was just a child when I went to Nonnatus House. They helped me when I was studying to be a nurse, as well. Right after I left the nurse’s home at the London, I went straight back to Nonnatus House as an aspirant.”

It was July 1, 1948, and it was a day she wouldn’t forget.

“If you studied nursing, why didn’t you just become a nurse?” Timothy asked. “My dad always says that they always need more hands at the maternity home.”

Shelagh sighed. “It was after the war and I was needed here. Nonnatus House was my home and they needed me there.”

“Where are all your clothes?”

Angela must be at the inquisitive age as well.

“This is all I have. I donated all my other clothes to the poor. They kept this one since it’s what I wore when I entered the convent.” Shelagh looked down at her outfit.

Maybe it  _ was _ a bit dated.

Timothy noticed her sudden discomfort and reached out to take her bag. “I’ll show you to your room.”

Shelagh gratefully smiled at the boy before following him up the stairs.

The room was only a little larger than her room at Nonnatus House and was neatly set up, almost as if it had been sitting that way for some time.

“It’s not much but it's better than the little flat we had before Teddy and May came along,” Timothy commented as he set her bag down at the foot of the bed.

“You moved houses?”

That would explain why every other room had looked like such a mess. They must have moved houses recently.

“A few years ago. It was before we adopted Teddy but after we adopted Angela. And we started fostering May a year or so ago,” he said. 

Shelagh took a better look at the teenager as he started telling her about his adoptive siblings.

His shirt appeared a few sizes too big on him and his jumper was missing buttons but the buttons that it did have were all mismatched and poorly sewn on.

A hand me down from his father probably.

“Well, I suppose I should start making lunches for all of you,” Shelagh said once Timothy finished.

Timothy gave her a confused look. “Dad normally sends us out to buy lunch or we go to the sisters and nurses.”

“You go to Nonnatus House for lunch?” It was Shelagh’s turn to be confused.

“It’s a short ride there and dad knows Sister Julianne. She’s usually the one who gives us lunch and lets us take some home for supper. 

“Don’t you have any food here?”

Timothy shrugged. “I dunno. I know we have cornflakes.”

“There’s no harm in checking. Perhaps we can see if we can mix a few things together and make some lunch,” she suggested as she pulled an apron out of her bag. “How does that sound?”

Timothy followed her down the stairs, the younger children joining them once they arrived in the kitchen. 

After a quick look through the kitchen, she faced the children. “I suppose we’re having sandwiches today, children. I think it’s a nice enough day to eat them outside. What do you think?”

The two girls nodded eagerly.

Shelagh put the apron on and started pulling things from the cupboard. She put Timothy to work on cutting vegetables and the younger ones were to start assembling the sandwiches. Meanwhile, she cooked some eggs to put on top of the sandwiches.

An odd combination, but at Nonnatus House, she once had a track record for making bizarre combinations work and she wasn’t about to ruin her record now.

“May I have a go?” Timothy asked, eyeing the one egg she had yet to crack.

She handed him the egg. “Just gently crack it on the edge of the counter and then-”

Timothy smashed the egg into the counter, causing the yolk and white to drip down the counter.

“Perhaps we’ll let you stick to cutting vegetables.”

“That seems like a good idea.”

Angela and May giggled as Teddy picked up the yolk and started poking it.

Yes, they were going to get along just fine.


	5. Dinner

“We don’t need to wait for him.”

Shelagh looked up at Angela.

She has only been at the Turner residence for a few hours, but she had already grown fond of the four children.

“He comes late. We normally eat dinner alone,” Angela explained.

Shelagh offered her a small smile. “We’ll leave a bowl of soup for him so he can eat something when he gets home. How does that sound?”

Angela nodded and continued to help her set the table. 

The little thing obviously missed her father and needed him just as much as his patients did, Shelagh thought. The doctor, despite only having a first impression of him, seemed disorganized. Of course, it could be because of all the work the poor man had. Sister Julianne  _ had _ mentioned how he was practically a workaholic. 

It also wasn’t right to make up her mind about him based on one interaction. 

The children were well mannered and yes, their father was extremely busy but there must have been someone who taught the young ones right from wrong.

“Daddy!” May squealed as she and Angela ran to greet him, bringing Shelagh back to reality. 

The doctor looked all too worn out and somewhat shocked at the warm smell of a hearty soup.

It had been years since there was a home-cooked meal waiting for him that hadn’t been partially burnt by Tim or left by a neighbor, nurse, or friend with specific instructions on how not to burn it. 

Shelagh stood up and offered him her seat at the table.

“You don’t need to get up on my behalf,” He insisted, pulling up another chair. “Please, sit.” 

“Did something happen?” Timothy asked, noticing how his father looked even more tired than usual.

His father offered him a weak smile. “Long day, Tim. It’s alright.” He ruffled his son’s hair. “Why don’t you bring your homework down and I can help you with your biology.”

Just because the smell of a home-cooked meal was unfamiliar didn’t mean he wasn’t appreciative of the gesture. Besides, he had forgotten his lunch in the car and the clinic had been packed so even if he had remembered his lunch, he wouldn’t have had time to finish it.

Timothy started fixing his hair, annoyed with his father's action. “I already finished it.”

“Really? You never finish biology that quickly.”

The boy fiddled with his spoon. “Miss Mannion helped me.”

Dr. Turner watched the woman in the kitchen out of the corner of his eye. “Did she now?”

Well of course she did, just because she was studying to enter the religious life didn’t mean she couldn’t have knowledge in other areas. 

“Red lentil soup, Dr. Turner.” She smiled, setting a bowl in front of him before returning to her seat.

As the children told their father about the afternoon they had spent with Miss Mannion, he couldn’t help but feel an aching in his heart. He loved his children more than anything in the world and he couldn’t always give them the perfect home-cooked meal they wanted or help them with their homework.

There was always work. His work. The clinic, maternity home, patients, births, deaths, vaccines… 

Matrons, governesses, nannies, call them what you will, were always there to help with the children and the nurses were there to help with everything work-related. 

But there was never enough time. 

“Seven?”

The children nodded at Shelagh.

“The last one left because she wanted to get married,” Tim explained.

“And the one before her left because she was pregnant,” Angela added.

May, who had been silent up until that point, looked up at Shelagh. “Are you going to leave us, Miss Mannion?”

Shelagh shifted in her seat.

It wasn’t a question she expected on her first day especially after how pleasant their lunch was earlier that day.

“Well, she can’t leave for either of those reasons. Nuns are married to God and don’t get pregnant,” Angela told her.

“Can you divorce God?” May asked.

Dr. Turner gave both of them a warning look.

“Dad, one of my friends has my Shakespeare book. Can I go get it from him?” Tim avoided looking at his dad, poking the last lentil in the bowl with his spoon.

His father sighed. “Tim, it’s late and it’s dark out.”

“It won’t take long.”

“Which friend is this?”

"Colin. He lives up the road. It’ll be 10 minutes.”

“Go.”

Tim stood up from the table, grabbed his jacket, and went out the door.

“As for the three of you, baths, books, and then bed,” Dr. Turner prompted.

Shelagh, who had been silently watching the family interact, started clearing up the table.

The children thanked her before disappearing upstairs.

“Miss Mannion, if anyone calls, please let me know.” Dr. Turner handed her a towel once she finished washing the plates. “I have a patient that is supposed to go into labor soon and I need to be there for the birth. I’m afraid she’s had a history of difficult pregnancies but refuses to go to the hospital.”

She nodded. “Of course, doctor.”

Called out for the third time. Did the man ever sleep?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! So sorry it's been a while since I've updated. I had awful writer's block during spring break and then it was back to e-learning. Thank you to the lovely people on Tumblr who have helped me with this!


	6. Sixteen

Timothy Turner was his father’s son. He had the same dark hair, cheeky wink, lanky limbs, and when compared to a picture of his father as a teenager, the two looked as though they could be brothers. Yes, with his outward concern for his family and others, Timothy was exceptionally similar to his father.

This being said, there was one difference, the doctor was far more forgetful than his son.

There was no forgotten Shakespeare book. It had been a lie in order to get out of the house. 

Timothy glanced around the shrubbery in front of the house, looking for Genevieve. 

“Genevieve,” Timothy whispered, “I’m back. You can come out now.”

Nothing. 

“Sorry that Angela’s ball interrupted your nap, Genevieve.” 

A small rabbit hopped out of one of the bushes. 

“There you are.” He picked up the rabbit. “Now, how do I get you inside?”

The rabbit looked at Timothy. 

“She seems nice but I don’t know if she’d be keen on a rabbit.” He peered in the window and saw her going upstairs. “But I have to get you inside one way or another.” 

Genevieve burrowed herself deeper into Timothy’s arms. 

“Is that a rabbit?” 

Timothy looked up and saw a girl walking her bike toward him. 

She propped up her bike before slowly approaching him. She stuck her hand out and let the rabbit sniff it. “What a darling little thing.”

He tried to place her face despite the darkness of the night sky doing nothing to help. 

After a few seconds of squinting at her, he did remember her. Susan. She had sat two seats down from him in his biology class for the majority of the year. He remembered how his teacher had referred to them as “buffer” students, "good" students placed in between the few bad apples and chatterboxes in the class. The same thing had happened the year before in their chemistry class.

“Her name is Genevieve.”

“That’s a lovely name for a rabbit.” Susan took a step back from the boy and his rabbit. “Have you done the biology homework yet?”

“My new matron Shelagh helped me with it,” he replied with a shrug. “It actually wasn’t that difficult this time.”

“You have a matron?”

Timothy started stammering. “I mean, well, she’s mainly here to help my younger siblings. I don’t  _ really _ need a matron. I take care of myself and Genevieve and my siblings- my dad’s busy with patients and all that so he just needed help. I'm sixteen so- I just- the matron really isn’t for me.”

“I used to have an au pair,” she recalled as she smiled at the memory. “Lovely woman. She was Hungarian, I think.”

“You had an au pair?”

Susan nodded. “With father always out on business, mother taking care of nana, and four children running about, we needed one. They’re not awful. They’re usually quite nice.”

Timothy shrugged. “The matrons we’ve had before have been alright, I suppose. Shelagh is… different from the ones we’ve had before. Angela and May seem to really like her.”

“It seems as though you like her too,” she smirked.

Before Timothy could respond, a sudden downpour drenched the two teenagers and rabbit.

“I should get back home,” Susan said as she started to pick up her bicycle.

“Wait.”

She watched as Timothy disappeared into the house and appeared a few seconds later with an umbrella. 

“Here.” He opened the umbrella and offered it to her. 

The two walked in silence to the main road.

“Thank you,” she smiled. She hesitated for a moment before lightly pecking his cheek. “I’ll see you in biology.”

Timothy managed to respond with a smile, completely flustered. 

The next thing he knew, he was standing alone in the rain with his rabbit as his sole company. 

He walked back to his front door only to find himself locked out. 

“Hell’s bells,” he muttered to himself as he climbed over shrubbery that acted as a fence for the back of the house, holding Genevieve tightly. He made his way to the back door to see the kitchen light on.

Had he left it on by accident? He didn’t remember if the light was on when he had retrieved the umbrella.

Was it his dad? No, he was probably half-asleep on the couch, waiting for a call to action.

It could very well be Shelagh. She _was_ rather observant and probably noticed that he hadn’t come back. 

He’d probably be in trouble regardless of who he found in the kitchen.

Then again, he’d also get in trouble for bringing a rabbit home in the middle of the night.

The door was unlocked, he could just wait until whoever was in the kitchen turned off the light and sneak in afterward. 

But it was cold outside and he couldn’t keep Genevieve warm for much longer.

It’d take a lot of explaining but the warmth of his home won him over. 

He opened the door as quietly as possible, glancing over at the couch to see his dad fast asleep as expected. 

For a second, he thought he was in the clear but as he turned to close the door, he saw Shelagh sitting at the dining table with a cup of tea. 

Drat. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies!  
> Thanks to a horrible case of writer's block, my graduation, and the start of my summer classes, this chapter is, well, a month late! Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this Timothy centered chapter. Not exactly an equivalent to Sixteen Going on Seventeen but it was nice to write Timothy for a bit.  
> On a more personal note, I ask for thoughts, prayers, good vibes for a member of my extended family who recently tested positive for covid-19. Additionally, please do whatever you can to support the blm movement and lgbtq+ community as they need your support now more than ever,


	7. Take Care

The sudden downpour of rain interrupted the end of Shelagh’s prayers.

As she stood up to close the curtains of the window, she saw a teenage girl standing in front of the house. Timothy appeared a few seconds later with an umbrella.

Maybe the girl was a friend or maybe even more but it wasn’t her place to intrude, she thought to herself. She had only been there for a day and if the boy wanted to confide in her, he would.

She put on her nightgown and dressing gown and went downstairs to drink the cup of tea she had left to cool prior to going upstairs to pray.

Even if she couldn’t be with the sisters, she could at least pray at the same time as they normally did.

Shelagh sat down at the table with her cup of tea, waiting for Timothy to come back inside. 

Soon enough, Timothy came in through the back door, cradling something in his arms.

He made eye contact with his matron and sheepishly walked over to her.

“Timothy, you’re soaking wet!” Shelagh fretted. “Change into some warmer clothes and I’ll make a cup of tea for you. Then we can take care of whatever it is you have in your arms.”

Shoes sloshing with every step, Timothy started to make his way toward the stairs.

“Shoes, Timothy. You’ll track mud into the house and wake your father and I think it’s safe to say that this is the first time he’s slept the entire day.”

After he went upstairs, Shelagh returned to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. 

She thought about what Timothy had been holding in his arms. It was most likely some sort of animal, it had been twitching in his arms. Too small to be a dog. A rabbit? It was about the right size for a rabbit. 

She cut a carrot into small pieces in case it was a rabbit and the poor animal hadn’t been fed. Putting everything on a tray, she carried it upstairs and saw Timothy in the hallway struggling with a roll of bandages.

“Are you hurt?”

Timothy jumped back, the roll of bandages unraveling and rolling down the hall and down the stairs. “Just a few scrapes from climbing over the shrubs outside.”

Shelagh handed him the tray and took the remains of the roll from him and quickly rolled it back up. “You could have knocked on the front door. It would have saved you the trouble.”

He followed her into her room as she pulled out a first aid kit. “My dad would have gotten mad and I would’ve had to explain…”

“The rabbit.” She frowned at the deep scrape on his arm. “I’m afraid it’s more than a minor scrape, Timothy. Have you washed it yet?” 

Timothy shook his head. “I didn’t think it was that bad.”

A few minutes later, he sat down on the edge of the bath with his arm under the tap and Shelagh washed her hands before pressing a towel to the injury. 

“I’m afraid I have to ask about the rabbit, Timothy,” Shelagh sighed as she walked him back to her room and handed him his cup of tea.

“Her name is Genevieve,” he explained.

“Your friend?”

“No, the rabbit.” He looked down. “My friend gave her to me before she moved away. She moved into a place where they didn’t allow pets.”

Shelagh picked up antiseptic from the first aid kit. “Is this the friend who was outside with you?”

“That’s Susan. She’s from my biology class. She was biking past and stopped to say hello.”

She noticed him glancing away and reminded herself to ask him about the girl later when he wasn’t wincing. “We’re almost set. I’ll apply some antibiotic cream and then we can wrap it. How does that sound?”

He nodded. “You would’ve made a smashing nurse but, I’m glad you’re our matron.”

“I’m glad I came, Tim.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! Hope you enjoyed Tim and Shelagh bonding in this chapter. It really was nice to write more for this duo.


	8. The Storm

May ran down the hall, clutching her stuffed tabby cat as tightly as possible. She burst into Shelagh’s room and clutched onto the woman’s legs.

“Oh, May, did the storm frighten you?” Shelagh asked, stroking the girl’s hair.

The little girl buried her face into Shelagh’s dressing gown as a flash of lightning illuminated the sky.

Picking May up, Shelagh smiled. “You can stay with me until the storm passes. Tim will help protect you as well. Isn’t that right, Tim?”

Tim nodded as Shelagh set the girl down in his arms.

“Well, I suppose we just have to wait for the others.”

With the next crash of thunder, Angela ran in and into Shelagh’s arms. A few seconds later, Teddy appeared and scurried under the covers.

“Why is the storm always so loud? I don’t like it,” Angela whimpered. 

Shelagh brushed a stray hair out of Angela’s face. “What if we do something to pass the time?”

“I have a transistor radio. I can see if we can catch anything,” Timothy offered.

When he left the room, Shelagh and the remaining children began to arrange the pillows and blankets into a fortress. 

“I can only get the station that plays older music.” Timothy fiddled with the small radio before handing it to Shelagh. 

She turned up the volume and set it on the nightstand. “There’s nothing wrong with older music, Timothy. There’s a history to it. Besides, Jim Reeves is simply marvelous.” 

The teenager laughed as the woman began to sing along, picking up May and spinning her around. 

The little group spun and danced around as their matron’s voice rang out over the music on the radio.

It had been so long since she had been able to sing songs that weren’t hymns or chants. There were more instruments than just an organ, more lively beats than the Easter and Christmas songs. It filled a space in her heart that she hadn’t realized needed filling until now. 

She had been content with being part of the order, she really had. It was her community but there was something about dancing with the children that made her heart swell with joy and feel full. 

-

Patrick stretched as he sat up on the couch. 

It had been the first time he’d been able to rest all day but a loud thumping noise from upstairs had interrupted his nap.

Perhaps Timothy had come back from his adventure.

As he went up the stairs, he grew puzzled. None of his children listened to Jim Reeves.

A bright soprano voice sang out above the laughter and music, capturing his attention. 

Peering into the room, he watched her eyes shine as she clapped to the rhythm of the song, his daughters dancing in front of her.

He took a step back and leaned against the wall.

He hadn’t heard his children laugh like that in a long time. They hadn’t laughed with  _ him _ but they were laughing with _her_ instead.

Sure, the children had matrons in the past that they got along with. The children weren’t problematic, they simply ended up with matrons who had other problems whether it be marriage, illness, or even pregnancy.

They had never trusted or confided in anyone so quickly. 

But she’d leave them eventually and the children would be heartbroken. The woman was going to be a nun and he wouldn’t be the one to keep her from her vocation.

It was all temporary, really.

Maybe he’d remarry and there would be no need for a matron. After all, he  _ had _ grown fond of one of the nurses he worked with. Perhaps she was fond of him as well.

But Beatrix Franklin was years younger and she always seemed to be with a new man whenever there was any sort of party or gathering.

He pushed the thought from his mind.

It was silly. There were other things he had to focus on. 

The doctor walked down the hall to his eldest’s room. He turned on the lamp, expecting to see his son. Instead, he saw a rabbit.

Moments later, he tapped against the matron’s door until she opened the door.

“Sorry to disturb you, Miss Mannion. I need to speak with Timothy. He’s here, correct?” He peered over her shoulder and made eye contact with his son.

“Of course, doctor.” She stepped aside, wrapping her dressing gown around herself. “I apologize for the mess. The children were afraid of the storm and I wanted to keep them company.”

He smiled at her before signaling to his son to follow him into the hallway. 

“Timothy, why did I find a  _ rabbit _ in your room? I don’t recall seeing you after supper either. How long did it take for you to get your book?” Patrick questioned.

The teenager stammered, clutching the transistor radio that had been quickly silenced when his father had first knocked on the door.

“The rabbit is mine, doctor,” Shelagh blurted out, stepping into the hallway. “A pa- a friend gave it to me and I couldn’t very well leave her behind. Sister Evangelina wouldn’t have been happy. I apologize for not informing you about the rabbit immediately. That was my mistake, the children had nothing to do with it, any of it.”

The phone rang before he could say anything.

“I’ll get it,” Shelagh muttered before rushing past him.

He turned back to his children and offered his son a smile who responded with a frown.

“She wanted to help. That’s why you hired her, right?” Tim picked up his brother and ushered his sisters to their room.

Patrick sighed as he went downstairs.

“One of the nurses called. She said it’s your patient,” Shelagh informed him as she handed him his doctor bag and his coat. 

“Thank you.” The doctor took the things from her. “Your help is much appreciated.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Shelagh really does love her Jim Reeves, doesn't she? As always, feedback is more than welcome.


	9. A Picnic

“Where are we going?” May asked as she peered out the window.

“We’re going to have a picnic,” Shelagh replied. “It’s about time we went outdoors and spent time in nature.” 

When the bus arrived at their stop, the group got off and Shelagh led the children down a dirt road.

“But why are we having a picnic in the forest?” Timothy asked. 

“Are there going to be squirrels?” Angela interrupted, clinging to Shelagh’s arm. “I don’t like squirrels.”

“She’s petrified of them,” Timothy clarified.

Angela crossed her arms. “I’m not petrified. I’m just scared.”

“That’s what petrified means, Angela.”

“Oh.” Angela shrugged it off and ran ahead to open the gate.

The children scouted out a spot as Shelagh wandered around, taking in the surroundings.

She had come to the same forest with the sisters for a short prayer retreat. Although camping with nuns was something she didn’t want to experience again, she was happy she’d be able to share the forest she’d quickly fallen in love with.

Timothy set the picnic blanket down in a grassy area as the group gathered around.

“Why doesn’t dad ever take us on picnics?” Teddy huffed as he sat down next to his brother.

“He’s too busy for us,” Angela responded.

Shelagh frowned. “Angela, I’m sure that if your father had the…”

“Time?”

“Yes.” Shelagh set the basket down on the blanket. “Well, let’s say a quick prayer and get started with our picnic.”

“We don’t really pray that often. Dad isn’t that religious,” Timothy told her.

“Not even hymns?”

The children shook their heads.

Shelagh smiled at them. “It’s never too late to learn. I’ll teach you.”

After they finished eating, the children sat around Shelagh and she started to teach them a hymn.

It was one of the first ones she learned when she first arrived at Nonnatus House and it was still one of her favorites. 

By the end of their picnic, the children were well versed in hymns and a variety of other songs. 

They danced around the forest, singing to the trees, plants, and every woodland animal except squirrels.

“Can we come back here tomorrow?” May asked as they all happily walked home.

“Don’t you think you’d get tired of it?” Shelagh laughed. “Especially when there are so many other places we can go to.”

Teddy’s eyes widened. “There are  _ more _ places we can go?”

Before she could respond, the group spotted a woman hurrying to the front door of their home.

“Excuse me, can we help you?”

The woman turned around, clutching her swollen belly, shoes soaked. “Is the doctor home? I think my baby is coming.” 

Shelagh rushed the children inside and called the number the doctor had left in case of emergencies.

“Dr. Turner’s office. This is Nurse Lee.”

She cleared her throat. “Hello, is there an available midwife? There is a woman who is going into labour. Her waters have already broken.”

“Can I have a name and address?”

Timothy tapped Shelagh’s shoulder. “Catherine Madigan. She just moved in down the street a few weeks ago.

She repeated the information to the nurse before mouthing a silent thank you to Tim.

“She’s not on our ros- oh, you’re at Dr. Turner’s home. A midwife will be right over to help him.”

Before Shelagh could clarify their situation, the nurse hung up.

“Miss Madigan says she wants to push. Her contractions seem to still be a few minutes apart,” Tim reported when Shelagh returned to the living room.

“I can take care of her until the midwife comes,” Shelagh said, helping the woman through her contraction. Try to get a hold of your father and make sure everyone else stays upstairs.”

She said a silent prayer before helping the woman sit on the couch.

This was  _ not _ how she expected their picnic to end. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. My university opens this week so fingers crossed that everything goes well. Updates may be more sporadic as I figure out my schedule and all that. x


	10. A Surprise Birth

“I called the clinic and the maternity home,” Tim said, handing Shelagh towels. “He’s on his rounds.”

Shelagh sighed. “Her contractions are getting closer. I’m not sure how much longer we can wait.” 

The woman screamed in agony and dug her nails into Shelagh’s forearm. “You deliver it.”

“What?”

“This is my third one, I know the routine,” the woman told her before inhaling sharply with the next contraction.

She had been trained in midwifery but hadn’t delivered a baby in over a year, maybe two. If something were to go wrong…

“Dad’s going to be home soon. He’d be able to help if anything went wrong. You could help her until then,” Tim suggested.

Shelagh said a silent prayer before putting on a pair of gloves.

Timothy dumped an open bag of medical instruments next to her.

“A glass rectal tube?”

Tim shrugged as he disappeared to find more things that could be useful.

“Mrs. Madigan? I’m going to take a listen to baby,” Shelagh informed the woman. She furrowed her eyebrows as she heard the slow heartbeat. 

When she sat back on her heels, Tim stepped forward and helped Mrs. Madigan with her next contraction. 

“Breech,” Shelagh muttered, trying her best to remember the best way to handle the situation.

No, she should wait for the doctor. Surely, he was more experienced and had delivered more babies than she ever had.

But she had promised the woman she’d help until help arrived.

“Mrs. Madigan, I’m going to have to do an inversion,” Shelagh said.

She grips Shelagh’s arm. “Miss, this is my third baby and they’ve never had to-”

“I’m going to make you as comfortable as possible, Mrs. Madigan, but this is going to hurt. I need to rotate baby.”

Shelagh situated herself in front of the woman and took a deep breath. 

She couldn’t just wait for the doctor when the contractions were this close.

After she silently whispered a short prayer, Shelagh positioned her hands on Mrs. Madigan’s stomach and began to rotate, the woman screaming in the process.

“Just a little more, Mrs. Madigan.”

The moment she sat on her heels, the front door burst open.

“Miss Mannion, what are you doing?” Dr. Turner exclaimed.

Shelagh whipped around and saw the doctor standing in the doorway with a nurse standing behind him.

Timothy ran out from the kitchen and explained the situation to the blonde nurse that arrived with his father.

“Dr. Turner, I-”

Shaking his head, the doctor brushed past her and set his bag down in front of Mrs. Madigan.

The blonde nurse offered Shelagh a sympathetic smile. “Thank you, sweetie. We’ll take it from here. Why don’t you go upstairs?”

Shelagh gestured for Timothy to follow and the pair quietly made their way upstairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! Sorry for the lack of updates. This school year has been... interesting. Having to use your computer for all your classes and your right hand being numb is not a fun combination! Anyways, hope you enjoy the new chapter. <3


	11. Absolutely Necessary

“Miss Mannion, a word.” 

Shelagh quietly followed the doctor to the back patio and closed the door behind them. “Doctor, I apologize for what happened before. She needed help and I knew what to do-”

“Yes,” he interrupted as he sat down, gesturing for her to sit as well. “Nurse Franklin informed me you studied nursing and midwifery.”

The doctor and the nurse had both been surprised at how well the woman handled the inversion. When they had gotten Mrs. Madigan settled, she was already as calm as one could be when giving birth and ready to push. 

She nodded. “I’m qualified in both, Dr. Turner. I assure you, I wouldn’t have stepped in unless it was absolutely necessary.” 

“And was it absolutely necessary?”

Was it? Shelagh paused, running every possible scenario in her head. If she’d waited five minutes, ten, thirty. In every scenario, something happened to either mother or baby.

“Yes. The poor thing needed an inversion and I didn’t know how long it’d take for help to arrive. If I had waited any longer, something could have happened.”

He pulled out a cigarette and stared at it for a moment before looking back at the woman. “Well, the situation has been dealt with now. Thank you.”

“You should be proud of Timothy, Dr. Turner. He was quite helpful,” Shelagh noted.

“Timothy helped?”

She nodded. “He handled the situation quite splendidly. The boy was cool, calm, collected, and professional the entire time. Well, I do suppose he’s almost a man now. He wants to be a doctor and-”

The doctor stood up abruptly. “Yes, wonderful,” he muttered before walking back inside.

“Dr. Turner?” Shelagh called out.

He turned around.

“You’ve raised them all quite wonderfully. I couldn’t have asked for more splendid children to help look after.”

The moment he felt the lump in his throat, he smiled at her before rushing up the stairs. Locking the door behind him, he sat down on the edge of the tub, holding his head in his hands.

Her words floated back to him in almost a quiet whisper that felt almost too real.

She was right. Of course, she was right. His children were growing up in the blink of an eye and he was preoccupied with work and was missing it. Soon Timothy would be at university and he would be missing his eldest, his right hand, and friend. 

But there was time to make it right.

It might not have been the reason she was hired, but she was qualified. 

He looked at himself in the mirror, fixing his disheveled hair. 

Well, he would have to pay her more, but he could figure it out. If she were to train with Nurse Franklin, yes. Yes, it could work. 

The only thing he had to do was get Miss Mannion to agree to become a nurse at his surgery. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! Apologies for my hiatus! Alas, this semester got the best of me. I'm on break now and will be updating more frequently! I hope you enjoy the new chapter<3


	12. In the Mirror

Shelagh looked in the mirror for the third time in the past five minutes. 

Maybe it was the light blue fabric that starkly contrasted the fabric of her old habit. Or perhaps it was the frilly white hat on top of her head. 

It had been years since she’d seen herself in a nurse’s uniform.

The doctor, of course, was to thank.

He could have fired her on the spot. She was lucky Mrs. Madigan’s delivery had gone smoothly once the doctor and the midwife arrived.

Had things gone poorly, she was sure she’d be on the next bus to Nonnatus. 

Not to say that there was anything wrong with going back to Nonnatus and continuing her duties there. 

She looked in the mirror again and readjusted the collar. 

There also wasn’t anything wrong with staying and helping with both the children and the doctor at the surgery. 

She had to admit, she was quite fond of the children. This was the closest experience to being a mother and having children of her own.

When she was younger, she dreamed of having children, being married, and having a lovely decorated home 

Weddings, well, that would have had to be included, now wouldn’t it?

Her own mother had passed when she was little so even if she had considered getting married, she wouldn’t have a mother to go dress shopping with her.

The only sisters she had to give her advice were the Sisters of St Raymond Nonnatus and although she had a deep love for them, they probably wouldn’t know much about picking wedding dresses.

They had often mentioned being able to pick dresses when they took their vows but, naturally, they weren’t allowed to have anything extravagant.

Not that she would want an extravagant wedding dress if she were to have one. Maybe just one with a little bit of lace. 

It’s not like she was planning on getting married. She was content with His plan for her.

She looked into the mirror and smiled.

It was going to be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year lovelies! I hope this brings you positive energy and more hope for the future (and more call the midwife). Hope you enjoyed the chapter and I can't wait to keep writing this year :) <3


	13. Nurses and Midwives

Shelagh followed the blonde nun down the corridor. 

“I’ll introduce you to the rest of the nurses. The ones who work at the maternity home, at least. Some of the nurses work at the clinic. Barbara does district rounds sometimes when she isn’t occupied with being the vicar’s wife.” 

She liked the nurse’s bright demeanor. Trixie Franklin, that’s what she said her name was. Shelagh decided that even if she was only going to be there temporarily, she’d like to get to know Trixie. The rest of the nurses and midwives as well. She’d like to befriend all of them.

Trixie points to a nurse with short brown hair who rushes past with an enema nozzle. “That’s Jenny Lee. Wonderful nurse but the poor thing has had quite the experience with her friend Jimmy. I’ll have to tell you about it sometime.”

“Nurse Franklin!” a voice from behind them calls out.

Shelagh and Trixie turn around.

“Phyllis Crane,” Trixie whispers to Shelagh as Phyllis walks towards them. “She has her own Morris Minor but  _ refuses _ to let me try to drive it.

“Ah, you must be Nurse Mannion. Dr. Turner told me you’d be stepping in to help us,” Phyllis smiled. “I can take over, Nurse Franklin. You go help Nurse Lee.”

Trixie squeezed Shelagh’s hand before slipping into one of the rooms.

“Why don’t you help me organize some of the records? I’ll tell you a bit about some of the mothers who are supposed to be delivering this week.”

Shelagh nodded as she followed the nurse to a series of filing cabinets. 

As much as she enjoyed organizing, she was under the understanding that she was there as a nurse, not a secretary. 

It didn’t help that the nurses she hadn’t formally acquainted herself with seemed to stare at her when they walked past, whispering amongst themselves. She tried to remind herself that she’d have plenty of time to get to know the rest of the nurses and stop their gossiping later. She wouldn’t want to make Phyllis think she was hired out of pity. Just because she didn’t have a formal hiring process didn’t mean she didn’t deserve to be there. If anything, she should be proud of herself for getting herself hired. If they wanted to gossip, then they could go ahead and gossip about her because-

“Nurse Mannion.”

Shelagh looked up. 

“Are you alright, lass?” Phyllis asked, slowly handing her another folder.

She nodded. “Yes, I’m fine.”

“We’re all quite close here, Nurse Mannion. If someone is causing you any problems-”

“It’s nothing,” Shelagh assured her.

Phyllis furrowed her eyebrows. “Your aggressive filing would say otherwise.”

Closing the drawer, she avoided Phyllis’s gaze. “I think they’re gossiping about me, Nurse Crane.”

“Has anyone said anything to you?” 

Shelagh shrugged. “I keep getting sideways glances and I’m not sure what to make of it.”

Phyllis stopped. “From what I’ve heard, Nurse Mannion, you’re quite a capable nurse and a splendid midwife. That’s the only thing that really matters here. I’m not one for gossip, but I’m sure that once you start spending time with the other nurses, they’ll start including you in their little gossip circles.”

She smiled gratefully at Phyllis as they started putting away the various papers and forms.

“I’m working in the clinic this afternoon. If you’d like, you’re welcome to help me there. You’ll probably get a little more hands-on action there,” Phyllis offers.

“I’d be happy to help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! I'm going to go on a brief hiatus because I'm starting a new semester and want to start it off on the right foot. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and stay tuned for more! <3


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